Karen Pirie reveals first look at Lauren Lyle in season 2 – as Line of Duty producers' drama returns
The crime drama returns in July.
With just a month to go until Karen Pirie returns to our screens for season 2, first-look images for the new episodes have now been unveiled.
Lauren Lyle reprises her role as Val McDermid's titular character – this time round, she's been promoted to Detective Inspector and is just getting settled into her new position when she's assigned quite the puzzling case.
Investigating an infamous unsolved disappearance that will certainly throw the new DI into the media spotlight, Karen also has to contend with mounting pressure from her boss and "sinister forces that would rather the past stayed in the past", according to the synopsis.
The newly released images give us a glimpse of James Cosmo's new character, Sir Broderick Grant, whose daughter went missing decades prior, as well as Phil (Zach Wyatt) and Jason (Chris Jenks) – the latter of whom is pictured with Karen in what looks to be a sunny destination. Just where are they headed?
The official synopsis reads: "The 1984 case of Catriona and Adam Grant has confounded investigators and intrigued the public like no other. Catriona, the charming young heiress to a vast oil fortune, and her two year old son Adam, were brutally kidnapped at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife.
"The ransom notes that followed stirred up an uncontrollable press storm, but when the culprits fell silent, the police faltered, and Catriona and Adam were never seen again."
It continues: "Now, a man’s body has been discovered, with indisputable links to the original kidnap. With the first piece of evidence in decades, Karen must assemble an unbeatable team alongside her sincere and lovable sidekick DC Jason ‘Mint’ Murray (Chris Jenks) and the brilliant – but romantically complicated – DS Phil Parhatka (Zach Wyatt).
"With the international renown of the kidnap and the constant pressure from Catriona’s father, Sir Broderick Grant (James Cosmo), the team take on the biggest challenge of their careers to date. As Karen delves deeper into what happened in the autumn of 1984, political grudges and painful secrets reveal themselves, and it soon becomes clear… the past is far from dead."
The new season will comprise three feature-length episodes, with each instalment boasting a 120-minute runtime just like the first season.
The next run is based on McDermid’s novel A Darker Domain and has been adapted once again by Emer Kenny, who stars in the series too.
While it's been quite the wait for the second season, Lyle has continued to be seen in various hit shows of late including in Toxic Town and The Bombing of Pan Am 103.
As for the cast of Karen Pirie, Lyle and Kenny will be joined by returning faces like Chris Jenks, Zach Wyatt, Steve John Shepherd and Rakhee Thakrar.
Joining the cast as new characters are the likes of Saskia Ashdown (Six Four), Frances Tomelty (Unforgotten) and John Michie (Holby City), as well as James Fleet (Bridgerton), Tom Mannion (Mr Selfridge), and Tommaso Basili (Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints).
According to ITV, the '80s vein of the story will also be brought to life by a host of cast members who were previously announced, including Julia Brown (World on Fire), Mark Rowley (One Day), Kat Ronney (Dinosaur), Conor Berry (Schemers), Stuart Campbell (The Winter King) and Jamie Michie (Back to Life).
Other cast members for the '80s storyline include Madeleine Worrall (The Legend of Tarzan), Jack Stewart (Outlander), Thoren Ferguson (Rebus), and Helen Katamba (The Nest).
Read more:
- Sheridan Smith in first look at The Responder writer's new drama The Cage – more cast announced
- Downton Abbey's Phyllis Logan: 'I'm not sad to say goodbye this time – it's definitely right for it to end'
Karen Pirie will air this July on ITV1 and ITVX, with season 1 available to stream on ITVX now.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
